Galway author Serena Molloy is one of the six winners at this year’s KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards which were announced at a ceremony in Dublin last week in partnership with International Literature Festival Dublin. Find out more here...
Winners were selected by an independent panel of expert judges, including two Young Judges, and a network of Junior Juries island-wide. The judging panel read a record 158 titles from Irish-born or Ireland-based writers and illustrators, the biggest year so far in the history of the awards.
Molloy received The Eilís Dillon Award for her début children’s book, ‘Wider Than the Sea’, which follows the story of Róisin, a spirited young girl who finds solace for struggles through an unlikely friendship with a dolphin named Sunny. The book features dyslexic-friendly blank verse with illustrations by George Ermos. Molloy, who also has dyslexia, is an English teacher and both her novels to date celebrate neurodiversity, empathy and the power to change.
Speaking at the ceremony, Elaina Ryan, CEO of Children’s Books Ireland, said; "This year’s award winners showcase the outstanding quality and variety of contemporary Irish children’s literature. The fact that so many of the winners and shortlistees are débuts is remarkable – the Awards are an opportunity for us to celebrate both emerging and established creators and to connect them with their audiences."
"Through our Junior Juries programme, we have seen the joy and excitement these shortlisted books have sparked in over 12,700 young readers across Ireland. Today, in front of an audience of 600 excited readers, we’re proud to recognise the talent and hard work of these extraordinary writers and illustrators whose work will no doubt be such a formative part of so many young readers’ childhoods."
Other Award-Winning Titles
The KPMG Book of the Year Award – ‘Catfish Rolling’ by Clara Kumagai (Zephyr)
The Honour Award for Fiction – ‘Treacle Town’ by Brian Conaghan (Andersen Press).
The Honour Award for Illustration – ‘Three Tasks for a Dragon’ illustrated by PJ Lynch (Walker Books).
The Judges’ Special Award – ‘The Hare-Shaped Hole,’ written by John Dougherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty. (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
The KPMG Junior Juries’ Award – ‘The Hare-Shaped Hole,’ written by John Dougherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty. (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
A total prize-fund of €16,000 has been awarded to this year’s winners.
Damian Smyth, Joint Head of Literature and Drama for the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented; "These awards pay tribute to some of the most fantastically talented writers and illustrators producing new work on the island of Ireland today. The stories they create cross lands and seas, to shape and ignite the minds and hearts of young audiences across the globe. We send our congratulations to all of this year’s worthy winners!"
Maria Flannery, Partner KPMG Ireland presented the annual Reading Hero Award at the ceremony. She said: "Well done to all our winners, and a special congratulations to our Reading Hero Alannah O’Donoghue who was nominated by her teacher, Clare Farrell. Alannah has displayed an unwavering determination and commitment to reading, and to learning through reading, whilst also finding magic in the turning of each page. She is a perfect example of what the Reading Hero Award is all about."
Galway schools participate in Junior Juries programme
Through the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards Junior Juries programme young people in schools, libraries and book clubs shadowed adult judges on the judging panel in reading, discussing and assessing the shortlisted books.
Young readers from eighteen schools and reading groups in Galway participated in the Junior Juries programme. These included:
Baboró International Children's Festival - Children' Panel
Claddagh National School, Claddagh
Claregalway Educate Together National School, Claregalway
Coláiste Éinde, Threadneedle Road
Glinsk National School
Kilcolgan Educate Together National School, Clarinbridge
Mercy Primary School, Galway
Oranmore Boys School, Oranmore
Scoil Chroi Naofa, Athenry
Scoil Éinde, Salthill
Scoil Iognáid, Galway City
Scoil Mhuire Maigh Cuilinn, Moycullen
Scoil Naomh Ciarán, Conamara
Scoil Rónáin, Leitir Móir
Seamount College, Kinvara
St. Nicholas National School, Claddagh
St. Oliver Plunkett National School, Athenry
St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oughterard
The KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards and Junior Juries programme are supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Funding.
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